MikeS72

As @InquisitiveScouter asked, it this an event to raid raise money for environmental or conservation projects? If so, I would count it. If not, and it is just a community bike rodeo or trail ride I would not.

I can only speak for my district and my experiences when using the MB look up in Scoutbook. When using the MB counselor search feature in Scoutbook I have pretty much always found that I know everyone who is listed, as they are already registered at some level. While I am sure that there are those individuals who are listed as a counselor for one MB and one only and that is their only BSA position, I have yet to come across them. As a matter of fact, I have only once done a search for a counselor and not found multiple options (all registered in other scouting positions) and that counselor just happened to be me! I have not seen an official reason for adding the $25 fee for someone who does not hold another BSA registration, but I can only imagine it has to do with the cost of the background check.

I don't know when and where you were a kid, but I can tell you from experience in multiple councils (6) in multiple states, beginning in the early 1960's, that in those councils abuse was not 'pretty widely know and pretty much batted aside'. In all those years I can only attest to being personally aware of two concrete cases of abuse in scouting. One resulted in the individual being permanently banned, with the local police being the ones who did not pursue the case any futher. The other resulted in the individual being sentence to 12 years in prison. To state that a letter admits that BSA covered things up and allowed people with credible accusations to move from one unit to another, while not providing the actual quote is disingenuous at best. As @fred8033said earlier, with as many millions of adult volunteers who have been registered with the BSA it would be next to impossible to expect the IVF to filter them all out. It could be as easy as someone using Bob instead of Robert on an application for it to slide through. That doesn't mean that BSA "allowed" them back in; it means they were able to fool the system.

Please tell me that this is tongue in cheek.

Where on earth is this, and who thought that would be a good image for BSA?????

Your post kind of confused me, as that is not at all what I see in this statue. I might have been inclined to leave off the wings and torch, but other than that this is a girl in uniform; merit badge sash, neckerchief and all.

Just got a blank look from pretty much every current youth member in all BSA programs! Jethro who???? 😁

I was in the same boat (dad pun intended) as a young scout 6 decades ago. We were in a military family and until I was almost 12 we did not live close enough to a pool to learn to swim. Had swimming not been required for advancement I likely would never have learned. My last 2 merit badges were swimming and lifesaving, as by then I was a fairly good swimmer, but still did not care much for it, and back in the dim ages there were no alternate merit badges on the Eagle required list.

I would agree that an award by any association on the list at your link would be fine, and personally I would be in favor of BSA authorizing a knot for BSA members who have earned the Gold Award. The directory linked here is members of the World Organization of Scouting Movements, of which GSUSA is not a member. As I said though, it would be a simple thing for BSA to say that in a spirit of unity among Scouts we will offer a knot for those who have earned the GSUSA Gold Award. I would then hope that GSUSA would not object to said knot.

The part most folks miss on page 9 is that this applies to awards from a scouting association in another country. It does say that female members of crews and ships who have earned the Gold Award may wear the pin on the left pocket flap. At this time it does not mention female troop members, although I would not be surprised to see that change soon, as I am sure we probably have a number of female members who have earned both the Eagle rank and the GSUSA Gold Award.

We seen to be on the low end of the spectrum as far as our council program fee goes; and on the high end as far as what benefits we see as a result of that program fee: During our Fall Membership Recruitment season, the newly recruited Scouts will pay (which includes the National Council’s one-time youth joining fee of $25.00) $165 for a 12-month membership cycle. Thus establishing their membership anniversary month. Later in the Fall, Scouts and Scouters currently registered in the Central Florida Council will recharter for the 2024 calendar year in the amount of $140* for youth and $100* for adult leaders…please note the adult fee provides enhanced background checks and general liability insurance. *Members are excited this registration fee includes the Central Florida Council Program Fee which covers the event fee for Scouts and Scouters to attend: • District Cub Scout Shooting Sports and or Adventure Days • District Cub Scout Family Campouts • District Webelos Woods • District Scouts BSA Fall Camporees • District Scouts BSA Spring Camporees • Annual District Banquets • Certain District Adult Leader Trainings • Central Florida Council University of Scouting The Central Florida Council Program fee also provides a subsidy for each registration for NYLT and Wood Badge courses.

Agree 100% with this. Scouts do notice properly uniformed leaders, both youth and adult. While I was a scout in the early 60's, when we would never dream of being out of uniform, I have to say that over the years I have mellowed quite a bit when it comes to "complete uniform". Our C.C. suggested several years ago that we "require" scouts to wear the complete uniform to all meetings. Kind of fell through the cracks, considering that the C.C.'s scout was rarely in a "complete uniform". I had an Assistant Cubmaster question me (as the U.C.) at his pack Pinewood Derby about wanting to prevent several scouts who were not in uniform from participating. Response was very much to the point: not everyone can afford to buy a complete uniform, and not every pack/troop with a uniform exchange will have something to fit everyone who might be in those circumstances. No scout will every be denied ANY scout activity, BoR included, because they are not in uniform. Hard to not say the uniform is mandatory while refusing to grant a BoR or while being "persistent what uniform is required". I will point out to one of my scouts what should or should not be worn on the uniform and where the correct places for said items to be worn. I will bite my tongue with scouts / leaders from other units, unless I know them well enough that it doesn't make the feel attacked. While the uniform (properly worn) is one of the methods of scouting, the method falls by the wayside if we run them off due to lack of said clothing.

Citizenship in Society has been Eagle required for a full year now. I have conducted multiple small group sessions with scouts from multiple troops, and have not yet seen anyone who decided to leave rather than earn the MB.

Does your council collect a council program fee, and if so, what does it cover? Ours does ($60) and covers the following: Members are excited this registration fee includes the Central Florida Council Program Fee which covers the event fee for Scouts and Scouters to attend: • District Cub Scout Shooting Sports and or Adventure Days • District Cub Scout Family Campouts • District Webelos Woods • District Scouts BSA Fall Camporees • District Scouts BSA Spring Camporees • Annual District Banquets • Certain District Adult Leader Trainings • Central Florida Council University of Scouting The Central Florida Council Program fee also provides a subsidy for each registration for NYLT and Wood Badge courses.

Or the New York Yankees!! 😁

This is the one part of your comments that I agree is a problem. It is not at all uncommon for a student to turn 18 early in their senior year of high school (or sometimes late in their junior year) and many of their scout friends remain 16 or 17 until late in their senior year or not at all before graduating. My own scout is on the other end of that spectrum, as he has always been among the youngest in his class, and crossed over as an AOL to the troop as a 10 year old. He attended his first summer camp as a 10 year old. ALL of his scouting friends will turn 18 between 7 and 10 months earlier than him expecting them to no longer be friends outside of scouting is unrealistic. As for the rest of the 'inside and outside of scouting' part of YPT, there are data driven reasons for that. I spent a lot of time before and during the bankruptcy reading letters submitted to the court, and many of the original reports sent to national after an incident occurred. An awful lot of those incidents did not take place at an official scouting event, but rather were the result of scouters (or youth members in many cases) who made themselves known to the families, and made those families comfortable enough to allow them to be alone with their children. The abuse then took place in their home, or some other non scouting venue. The 'inside and outside of scouting' recommendations at least show that an attempt was made to prevent abuse from happening, and that if it does happen it is 100% on the perpetrator and the perpetrator alone.

I do not normally comment on these types of posts, but I 'followed' as soon as I read the next line in the post: " I recently saw an ad for patches that celebrate the LGBTQ community, " people of color " and women in Scouting. Aren't the straight white male members being excluded or are the powers that be too week to make that available, or would that be racist or homofobic."

First time doing Wordle. Far too easy! 😀

I see the same in my district and council. When I look up a MBC in Scoutbook it is pretty much always someone who is also registered in some other position. My question would be how this will affect the new camping rules come September 1. Since MBC will now be a fee paid position will that allow them to be included in unit camping???

I would expect to hear something after the NAM wraps up next week.

As a long time Red Cross Instructor, I would encourage everyone to check with their local council, as BSA has an affiliation agreement with the Red Cross and many councils have ARC Instructors available to teach and certify people within the scouting community.

Is the unit a Troop or a Pack? If it is a Pack the question is moot, as Cubs can only do shooting sports at district or council events. (one of the big draws at Cub Day Camp)

Is this someone who was just helping out one time, or are they always there and always interacting with the youth? Is there a reason they are not registered? Have they been approached about registering and declined to do so?

Wasn't your SPL by any chance, was it??? 😄

We give our scouts multiple chances to sign up and make payment (if required) beginning about a month prior to the activity. Something like summer camp they start signing up about 3.5 months ahead of our camp week, which both gets a discount on the fee and also allows them to select merit badges and activities well in advance. As to your situation @5thGenTexan, I think as CC I would be having a serious conversation with your SM about prior planning. How often do you end up having to cancel an outing when transportation is an issue due to parents and leaders not knowing where the troop is going until the day before?